Two step ladder leg extension



P. DEMAS ETAL 2,692,076

TWO STEP LADDER LEG EXTENSION Filed Feb. 8, 1951 Perry Demas DnminicP- E m-Lacci,

BY v 2E ATTORNEY IN VENTOR Patented Oct. 19 1954 TWO. STEP LADDER LEG. EXTENSION Perry Demas and Dominic Patsy Bonacci,v

Mamaroneck, N. Y. Application February 8, 1951, Serial No. 210,028

1 Claim.

invention relates to a two step ladder leg exten ion and has for an object to provide a leg extension arranged to be attached to the leg of a ladder and when attached is capable of adjustment to any of three positions, a position leaving the ladder leg at its original length, so that the ladder may be used in the ordinary manner, a position extending the length of the ladder leg by one step, particularly intended where the I ladder is to be used on a stairway where either the steps are sufficiently wide or where one leg of the ladder is to be placed on the first step of the stairway, and the other leg on the floor at the. bottom of the stairway, and a third position wherein the steps of the stairway are fairly narrow and the width of the ladder is such that it, stands two steps, whereby the ladder may be placed anywhere along the stairway with two steps intervening between the legs of the ladder.

A further object of this invention is to providev a. two step ladder leg extension which may be readily attached to any existing ladder and when so attached will still permit the ladder to be used in its ordinary manner or to be adjusted for either one or two step extensions as may be needed.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a two step ladder leg extension wherein there are but two leg parts in the extension, and wherein the two leg parts are locked to each other in either position at three different points and wherein the extension as a whole is locked to the ladder leg likewise at three different points at all times irrespeotive of whether the extension in fully retracted position, intermediate position, or fully extended position.

Still a, further object of this invention is to provide a two step. ladder leg extension which is very simple in construction and operation and wherein the extension legs may be made of wood or suitable light weight metal, such as magnesium, aluminum or the like and may be readily attached to the leg of an existing ladder by merely boring three suitably spaced transverse holesv through the ladder leg to which it is to be, attached.

A further object of this invention is to provide a ladder leg extension which may be made in either left leg or right leg position, but inasmuch as it has been observed that most stairways require left leg extensions, a left leg extension is herein illustrated.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention comprises the combination, construction and: arrangementof parts hereinafter 2 set, forth, claimed and disclosed in the accompany-ing drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the ladder leg extension of this invention attached to a ladder and, arranged in the intermediate position and providing a one step extension;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the extension in the fully extended position providing a two step extension;

Fig. 3. is a plan view of the ladder leg extension mounted on a ladder leg in fully retracted positiori; V

Fig. 4 is an edge, view of, Fig.v 3, but in fragmentary sections to show the operating elements, and

Figs. 5, 6, '7 and 8, arev sectional views on lines 5:5, 6:6, 727 and 8:8 of Fig. i,

There is shown at. H] a ladder of the conventional type, used when papering and painting the vwalls of a home or' building. However, when painting or papering the wall along a staircase, it is usually necessary to use dangerous improvisations, such, as a box or the like, under one leg of the ladder so that the ladder can be used on the, steps of the staircase. With this invention such conventional ladder l0 may have a ladder leg extension [I attached to one leg thereof, as the left leg I2, for instance, whereby the ladder to may still be used on the walls of any room and may be readily and quickly converted for use on a staircase, irrespective of whether the staircase has wide or narrow steps, and irrespective. of Whfither the ladder itself has wide or narrow steps, it being possible with this invention to so extend the left leg 12, of the ladder I a that the right leg l3 may be placed one step above the bottom of the extended left leg l2 as shown in Fig. 1, or may be placed two steps above the bottom of the extended leg [2 as shown in Fig. 2. Inasmuch as most staircases l4 usually have the wall located at the left end thereof, the ladder leg extension II of this invention has been illustrated for use on a left leg, but it may easily be manufactured suitable for a right leg of a ladder by merely shaping it and placing the parts in mirror image relation to the left ladder leg extension shown herein.

The ladder leg extension H of this invention comprises a long extension section l5 and a short extension section IE. The two extension sections l5 and iii are pivotally bolted together by a bolt I! having its bolt head it countersunk within the outer surface of extension section IS, a nut 20 securing the bolt in. position. The bolt head t8- is countersunkin that surface of the leg exwhen rotated 180".

tension I which is to be attached to the side of ladder leg l2 by means of a similar pivotal bolt 2|, nut 22, and bolt head 23, the bolt head 23 being countersunk in the opposite surface of the leg section I5, that surface which is away from the side of the ladder leg I2 and is in contact with the near surface of the extension section I6. When attaching the ladder leg extension II of this invention to a ladder leg I2 three suitably spaced bolt holes must be drilled through the ladder leg, one bolt hole being provided to receive the bolt 2| and two other suitably spaced bolt holes being provided to receive the shanks of screws 24 as shown in enlarged detail in Fig. '7, it being intended that a paper or cardboard temp ate be provided with the ladder leg extension II so as to enable the bolt holes to be properly spaced and located when being drilled by the purchaser of the leg extension.

Each threaded screw 24 has a threaded end arranged to screw into a threaded sleeve 28 suitably secured and positioned in extension section I5. A bushing 21 for each of said two other spaced bolt holes is provided on the inside of a flange plate 28 provided with apertures for receiving securing screws 30 and a central aperture through which the slightly reduced shank of the threader screw 24 may slidably extend, and the central aperture in plate 28 may be threaded to permit the screw threads 25 to pass therethrough but not to slide therethrough, a knurled head 3| being provided on the end of the shank for threading the screw threads into or out of the threaded sleeve 26. It will be noted that the pivoting bolt 2! is exactly equidistant between the thread screw 24 and threaded sleeves 25 so that the leg extension section I5 may be pivoted about the bolt ZI and be secured in either position, thread screw 25 thus being able to be secured in either of the identical threaded sleeves 2%. Thus when secured in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the original lengths of the ladder leg I2 will be undisturbed. By unthreading the thread screws 24 by means of their knurled heads 3|, the threaded ends may be temporarily withdrawn to within the bushings 21, whereupon the V entire ladder leg extension Il may be pivoted about the bolt 2i as a center for 180 and then the thread screws 24 may be screwed back into the other threaded sleeves 26 which are now in proper position to thus secure the ladder leg extension II in the position shown in Fig. 1, thus making the length of ladder leg I2 one staircase steplonger than the length of the other leg I3.

To convert the ladder leg extension II for use on two steps of the staircase I4, it is first put in position for the one step extensionas provided and explained above, then the extension section H5 is pivoted 180 about the pivoting bolt I'i'. That end of extension section I6 which is closest to the pivot bolt I? is provided with a somewhat S-shaped hook 32 integrally formed at the end thereof, thus providing two abutment receiving recesses 33 and 3E, and the remainder of the end of extension section I6 may be somewhat curved as at 35. .An abutment pin 36 is permanently secured as at 3? near the adjacent end and through the extension section I5. Located on a diagonal line through pivot bolt from the recess 33 is a recess 31 on the opposite edge of the extension section I6 so that such recess will have its inner end abut against the pin 36 Countersunk within the leg extension I5 is a spring pressed abutment pin 38 secured therewithin in a housing 40 and nor- 4 mally urged outwardly thereof by the spring 4|. This abutment 38 is in such position and location in the legextension I5 that when the leg extension I6 is pivoted about its pivoting bolt I? from the position shownin Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, the abutment pin 38 will be urged outwardly by spring il and held outwardly within housing 48 so that the abutment recess 34 may abut thereagainst while the abutment recess 31 abuts against the fixed abutment pin 35, thus providing three locking points for the leg extension I6 in the two step extension position of Fig. 2.

'It will be noted that the supporting end 42 of leg extension l5 and supporting end 43 of leg extension It all have the same angle as the supporting end d4 of ladder leg I2 so as to provide the same firm support as originally provided by the ladder leg I2. If the leg extension i 5 be manufactured to fit the right hand ladder leg I3, then, of course, the angles at the supporting ends of the leg extensions will be parallel to the angle of the supporting end of leg I3 and the abutment pins and recesses for receiving the abutment pins will be placed in reverse mirror image position.

Due to the fact that the ladder iii must lean against a wall in position and thus be at an angle, gravity serves to lock leg extension It in position on its pivot bolt against the abutment pins in the abutment recesses. To move the leg extension it back to the non-supporting position, it is merely pivoted about its bolt ii, the abutment pin 38 being depressed against its spring 3! allowing thereover. The friction of the end of abutment pin 38 pressed by spring ii against the inner surface of extension section it should besufii cient to hold extension section It in the nonsupporting position and to insure this being so held, a slight depression 42 may be provided on the inner surface of leg extension section It at the end of the path 43 as shown in Fig. 3 over which the abutment pin 38 travels when extension section IE is being pivoted thereabout, the recess 42 being connected to path 43 by a slight angle, thus enabling pin as to ride in and out of the recess 32 without difficulty.

In operation, the leg extension ii is secured to the leg I2 of a ladder It by providing suitably spaced bolt holes in the'ladder legbI2 and securing the screw threads 2d therethrough as above described. Obviously, instead of usingthe especially convenient screw threads 24 as herein disclosed, suitably countersunk bolts and" nuts could be provided, but inasmuch as theywould have to be removed during the pivoting operation, such ordinary bolts and nuts are liable to be easily lost. By pivoting extension II as'a Whole about thepivoting bolt ZI, the extension II of this invention may be shifted between the non-supporting position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and the one step supporting position shown in Fig. 1; If desired to be used in a two step supporting position as shown in Fig.2. it is first pivoted to the one step supporting position as above described and'shown in Fig. 1, and then leg extension section is is further pivoted about the pivoting bolt H to bring abutment recesses 33 and 31 into contact with spring pressed abutment pin 38 and fixed abutment pin 36, thus holding the leg extension section I6 in supporting position when the ladder Ill is at an angle as in customary use. To restore it to one step position the leg extension section I6 is merely the extension section it to pivot reversely pivoted while depressing the abutment pin 38 against the spring to permit the pivoting movement to be completed. Then if desired to restore it to non-supporting position thread screws 24 are withdrawn, the whole extension H pivoted and thread screws 24 again threaded in, thus holding the extension II on the leg l2 but completely and non-supporting position.

While the device has been shown and the structure described in detail, it is obvious that this invention is not to be considered as being limited to the exact form disclosed, and that changes in detail and construction may be made therein within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

A ladder leg extension, means for pivotally securing said extension to a ladder leg in adjustable position thereon so that the ladder may be used on a level floor, or be supported on a staircase with either one or two staircase steps between the ladder legs, said ladder leg extension comprising two extension leg sections pivotally secured together, means for pivotally securing and attaching one of said leg sections to a ladder leg, means for detachably fastening said one leg extension section to the ladder leg at two additional securing points in parallel relation thereto and at either of two positions 180 apart thereon, and means securing said other leg extension section in supporting relation to said one leg extension section and to the ladder leg when both of said sections are pivotally adjusted in extended position, said detachable fastening means comprising a pair of threaded sleeves in said one leg extension section equally spaced in said section on opposite sides of said securing means, and a pair of correspondingly spaced threaded screws extendably and retractably mounted in the ladder leg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 159,319 Grunewald Feb. 2, 1875 376,102 Miller Jan. 10, 1888 850,351 Crum Apr. 16, 1907 1,346,831 Lehmann July 2 1920 2,177,677 Staben oct. 3 1939 

